Every Time You Close Your Eyes
by JxTina
Summary: AU. All she wanted was to fit in. He knew it and now he uses it against her. Seth Rollins x OC x Roman Reigns. Also features Dean Ambrose
1. Prologue

Hi. Again. New story and all that jazz. It's a complete departure from anything I've done before but I'm excited about it. I have an actual plot laid out in my head and a good feeling about this one.

I guess I should also say that I won't be re-visiting any of my previous stories/characters. Apologies to anyone who wanted to see a conclusion to any of them (and I know I left off one half-way and another didn't even get past the first chapter). I might utilise the plans I had for them in another way or perhaps not. Put it this way - happy endings all round for everyone involved.

The past year has been pretty damn shit for a whole load of reasons I won't bore you with, but writing was at the bottom of my list of priorities. And then this idea floated into my head a good six months ago or so. And then a few months ago, I started to write it. And then last weekend, I started to re-write what I had and today I finished off what you see below. It's AU. It's third-person. It's bloody scary to put it out here after such a long time of thinking too much about it and not writing enough of it.

But anyway. Enough. Please enjoy. Please review and tell me what you think. Thank you x

WARNINGS - Language

* * *

 **Prologue**

She could feel eyes on her, baited breath whilst her own caught in her throat. A hush had started to descend across the restaurant, glasses lowered, silverware gently clinking into silence. She could feel her cheeks flushing, her heart beating hard and fast as she watched him reach into his jacket pocket. Her tongue felt thick and heavy as she watched him pluck open the box and offer up a diamond that made her eyes bulge.

He coughed and for a moment, she almost believed that he was nervous. Those surrounding them would most definitely believe it. She could already see the scene that would ultimately unfold in a few moments time: complete strangers lining up to congratulate them, completely oblivious to the fixed smile that would adorn her face, a complete contrast to the winning, cocky one that would grace his.

"Luisa Haynes," he started, reaching out to grasp her hand. "Will… Will you do me the honour of being my wife?"

From the next table, she heard a woman let out a soft coo.

She wanted to scream.

* * *

 _Two years earlier_

Luisa's gaze slowly travelled around the large meeting room. To her right, the office day was already in full swing, her new co-workers already immersed in phone calls and emails. She'd over-heard snippets of conversation as she was led from the reception area to where she now sat – words and phrases had drifted over her that no doubt would start to make sense as the next few days and weeks unfolded. It had been an onslaught on her senses and yet despite the spike in her nerves, she also felt a stab of excitement.

She remembered that she'd felt that same excitement when she emerged from the subway station barely twenty minutes ago. Although she'd entered the building several times over the last few months, she still felt dizzy every time she looked up at its towering height. The novelty had yet to wear off and she wasn't sure it ever would, especially with the view currently to her left. The city rose before her, the endless myriad of avenues and streets only identifiable by the landmarks that she'd spent most her life only seeing from below or from afar. Now they were practically neighbours, all peering down on the ant-like cabs and people below.

A blast of noise from the office made Luisa's eyes jump from the view to the doorway.

"Take a seat," she heard the receptionist say, a well-manicured hand holding the door open. "The induction session will start shortly."

As the latest addition took a seat around the glass table in the centre of the room, Luisa took the opportunity to assess her fellow interns. There were five in total, all plucked from a larger pool of interview candidates and an even greater number of initial application forms. She knew how lucky she was to be here, even if it was despite all the odds. It had been made clear to her early on that she wasn't their typical candidate. She hadn't relied on a parent's own network of big business colleagues nor was she in possession of a family name or a membership to an exclusive club or society. No, she was just Luisa, from the suburbs, from a single-parent family, who got a scholarship at an Ivy League and went on to apply and be accepted onto one of the top internship programmes in the state all on the merit of her own hard-work. Luisa's back straightened in defiance as she looked around the room and wondered what connections and surnames surrounded her.

She'd already clocked the designer bag that belonged to the only other girl in the room and now as she took in the other three, she noticed the subtle pin on a tie denoting a prestigious fraternity along with the flash of a watch that just screamed one of a kind. But as her eyes flickered to the guy in the corner of the room, she felt her brow furrow slightly.

Whilst the others, Luisa included, sat straight, pen and paper neatly laid out before them and all waiting in anticipation for what was to come, the fifth member of the group could only be described as bored. He was slumped in his chair, notepad askew as he flipped his pen over and over in his hand. Whilst his clothing was as smart as the others, his posture had caused his jacket to crumple on one side and he kept tugging at his tie, loosening it slightly with every touch. As he scraped a hand over his head, Luisa noticed the small knot of hair at the nape of his neck.

His own gaze flickered from the view of the city and for a split second their eyes met. Luisa felt her cheeks flush as she looked away and out of the corner of her eye she saw him smirk. But she soon forgot about it as the door swung open again and a tall, rather foreboding woman entered the room and introduced herself as Carolyn, Deputy Human Resources Manager.

The induction lasted an hour during which each intern was assigned to a department. Luisa carefully noted down her own department, Public Relations, along with her direct report. Slightly distracted she only half-registered the way Carolyn paused for a second before reading out the final name.

"Seth?"

Luisa's eyes flickered to the far corner and watched as Seth half-raised his head in acknowledgement as he twirled his pen casually between his fingers.

"Legal."

Another half-nod.

As Luisa turned her attention back to the front of the room, she noticed that the others in the room were watching Seth with curiosity. One of them, earlier identified as Peter glanced across at the other girl, Jessica and raised an eyebrow. Jessica responded with a brief shrug of the shoulders and Luisa couldn't help but look back at Seth to note his own reaction. But as she half-expected, his gaze was still stoically on the notepaper.

* * *

The first week passed in a blur, despite how mundane her daily tasks seemed to be. Luisa's expectations of being an intern weren't exactly high, but they certainly hit an all time low within the first hour. She found herself stuck on the end of a bank of desks and essentially assigned as a PA to one of the executives. She spent her days answering emails that seemed to just automatically forward to her and fielding telephone calls first on her boss' behalf and then for every single executive in the department.

Her predicament was made even worse when she bumped into Jessica in the elevator on the third morning. She felt her cheeks ache as she nodded and smiled as Jessica gleefully informed her that she'd made a substantial acquisition in her first two days – a record first apparently. As they parted ways at the subway station, Jessica invited her along to drinks on Friday.

" _Just a few, y'know, to celebrate."_

Luisa had agreed, crossing her fingers in her coat pocket. The last place she wanted to be was with the rest of the intern group, listening to them brag about their first-week achievements. All she wanted to do when Friday rolled around was head home, order takeout and crash face first into her bed and not surface for a good twelve hours.

She figured that Friday would be the same as any other day of the week and given that she hadn't been able to escape the office until well after seven or even eight o'clock, she doubted anyone would miss her at drinks. As it turned out, the department started to emptier a lot earlier than usual and for the first time, Luisa found herself clearing her inbox just after six. Glancing around the office, she groaned inwardly as she saw Jessica darting around the desks towards her.

"Luisa! C'mon!"

She didn't even get the chance to refuse as Jessica grabbed her coat and bag for her and turned towards the elevator, leaving Luisa no choice but to chase after her.

"Jessica, I've got a train–"

"It's just the one," Jessica grinned with a roll of her eyes. "Work hard, play harder right?"

"Right. Just the one," Luisa echoed. "So, who else is going to be there?"

Jessica shrugged. "Just us interns. Peter. Brad. Seth."

Luisa raised an eyebrow at the last name. She hadn't seen Seth since Monday and had presumed that his attitude had failed to get him past day one. Jessica, who had seemed to show great interest in him during induction hadn't mentioned him until now. She felt embarrassed for being so presumptuous, especially considering that she had fought the odds to be here and overcome other people's presumptions about her.

As they rode the elevator down, Luisa watched as Jessica touched up her hair and makeup. She knew that she had a tube of lipstick somewhere at the bottom of her bag, but upon seeing the branded gold tube that Jessica was using, she felt ashamed to pull out her own drugstore version. She wondered if she could escape to the bathroom before they left the building.

"Here." Jessica was nudging her, holding out a hand. Luisa looked down and saw the shiny tube, the logo gleaming up at her.

"I'm okay, thanks."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Take it. Use it. Keep it." Reaching out she grabbed Luisa's hand and pressed the lipstick into it.

"Thanks..." Luisa murmured. She hesitated for a second and then pulled the tube apart. She stared at the colour for a second and then glanced up at Jessica who gave her an encouraging nod. Unsure of this sudden new found friendship that involved gifting expensive lipsticks, Luisa leant towards the mirrored wall of the elevator and slowly applied the bright red to her lips.

The elevator door pinged softly and Luisa just had enough time to run her hands through her hair before she felt herself being pulled along by Jessica. As they headed down the street, she saw the sign for the bar that she'd heard her boss mention earlier and a fresh wave of dread washed over her. She was about to protest but Jessica continued to walk straight past. Luisa was surprised – she'd Googled the bar and it seemed the type of place that Jessica would be right at home in. She scolded herself – once again she'd judged a book by its cover and been completely wrong.

"They chose this place," Jessica told her as they took a left down an inconspicuous side street. "It's really not my thing. But they promised to buy the first round so what can you do?"

Luisa smirked to herself – so maybe her initial assumptions of Jessica weren't as far off the mark after all. Halfway down the street was a small luminous sign above a door way and she followed Jessica down the stairs. What started off as soft murmurings grew in volume as they reached the bottom of the stairs. The small bar was heaving but Jessica seemed to have the innate ability to cut seamlessly through the throng with Luisa duly following. As they reached the other side of the bar, Luisa saw Peter and Brad in a corner booth.

"Seth's at the bar," Brad told them as they took a seat. "And yes," he said to Jessica as she opened her mouth, "I told him your order."

"Good."

"Didn't know what you wanted though," Brad's gaze turned on Luisa. "Seth said he'd take his best guess."

Luisa gave him a small smile in return before glancing towards the bar. Next to her, Jessica had already started to talk shop, loudly announcing yet another acquisition that she'd been pivotal in. Peter and Brad had both been assigned to the commercial arm of the company and were quick to tell Jessica of their own successes of the day. Luisa could only pray that their one-upmanship would continue long enough to forget her presence.

Still staring towards the bar, she felt her eyes grow heavy, her vision softening as she let the sounds of the chat and general bar noise drift over her. There was a soft cough and she blinked, almost disorientated.

Seth stared down at her, the smirk that she'd seen on Monday once again playing on his lips. In one hand he held a glass of white wine whilst the other held four bottles of beers nestled precariously between his fingers.

"Finally!" Jessica called out, reaching over Luisa to take the wine.

"I took a guess," Seth said as he lowered one of the beers in front of Luisa.

"Thanks," she reached forward and clutched the beer, surprised at how hot her hands suddenly felt against the ice cold glass.

"You're welcome." His eyes remained on her as he took a seat opposite.

Luisa squirmed in her seat, her own gaze lowering to the table. She pulled the beer towards her and raised it to her lips. As she took a swig, she heard Peter pipe up.

"So Seth, how's it going down in Legal?"

Luisa rolled her eyes, waiting for Seth to launch into his own first-week accomplishments.

"It's everything Law School told me it would be... Dull, uninspiring and a waste of time."

Silence filled the booth and Luisa watched in fascination as Jessica, Peter and Brad stared at Seth. She chanced a look at his face and saw a more genuine smile starting to form. He caught her eye and winked and Luisa felt an overwhelming urge to laugh. Although the noise that escaped her was more of a snort.

Seth chuckled, leaning back as he took a swig of his drink. "At least someone appreciates my honesty." He glanced around the table. "Oh c'mon, like any of you actually made a sale or had any more to do with an acquisition than filing paperwork and arranging the call for your managers."

Luisa felt her mouth moving before she could stop it. "I mean if that's how this works, then today I put together the press release for a new client and then arranged the launch party for a new product."

Seth let out a bark of laughter. "Good one." He glanced over at the other three. "I mean, feel free to keep the pretence up if it makes you feel better..."

Luisa could sense that Jessica was shooting daggers in their directions, but the thought of Jessica, who had just made a point of handing her a designer lipstick just because she could, spending her the last five days in the exact same lowly position as her was just too good.

She raised her beer, staring across the table at her newfound ally in this world. "To the dull and uninspiring."

Seth grinned as he leant across to tap his bottle against hers. "To a complete fucking waste of time."

* * *

 _Two years later_

She felt numb as he pushed the ring onto her finger. A smattering of applause broke out around them as he rose to his feet, pulling her up with him. She knew her part already, the blushing bride to be, showing the ring off to anyone who asked before beaming up at her betrothed. She felt his beard brush against her forehead, the scent of his cologne thick and close as he held her firmly to him.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the maître d' gently manoeuvring his way through the tables towards them.

"Mr Rollins. Miss Haynes, let me be the first to offer my sincere congratulations," he gushed. "We are truly honoured that you chose his wonderful setting for the occasion."

"Well thank you for providing the perfect setting," Seth replied. "I couldn't think of a better way to ask the love of my life the ultimate question."

Luisa felt a tap on her arm and she turned to see a middle-aged woman beaming up at her. "What a lucky girl you are," the woman told her with a kind, yet oblivious smile. "I can tell you love each other very much."

"Yes," Luisa heard herself say. "We do."

Once upon a time, she thought, that statement was true.


	2. Chapter 1

So it took me a while, but I did it and the second instalment of this little story is below. I had a bit of a dilemma how to move the story forward, as well as giving you the full background to how Luisa and Seth ended up how/where they are. I actually wrote out their full story and in note form, it came to over a page long. However, I still wanted to move the overall story forward, so I've decided to do a mixture of present day and flashbacks. So there may be things that you want to question or that don't quite make sense, but please bear with me as I will slowly reveal all. As for characters, I decided to throw another familiar face into the mix. And anyone looking for Mr Reigns, he'll be along in a few chapters time, so settle in. I hope you continue to enjoy reading and please let me know your thoughts on what unfolds :-)

 **DISCLAIMER:** I only own the OCs

 **WARNING:** Swearing, mild smut

 **A/N:** _Italics_ = flashback

Enjoy x

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

Luisa kept her eyes shut as Seth's fingers trailed up and down her spine. She felt the bed shift next to her, sheets rustling as he moved closer. His lips met her shoulder, his arm sliding over her body so he could pull her against him. His arms curled around her as he continued to adorn her shoulders with light kisses, slowly working his way up to her neck.

Goosebumps started to pepper her skin and she felt her stomach flip as his fingers grazed the sensitive skin beneath her breasts. His hips rolled against her, his teeth scraping across her skin. She felt herself soften, a sigh escaping her as she became more malleable to his touch. He rolled her slowly, moving her as he pleased, his fingers clutching at her panties, pulling them away.

His lips pressed against her back as he moved behind her, above her. She reached out, clutching at the pillow as she felt him pull her hips a little higher, a hand slipping between her legs. Her body shook, her eyes still squeezed shut as she gasped and choked out his name. She felt a ringing in her ears as he slammed into her a final time. He collapsed forward, his forearms only just stopping his full weight from crushing her. His breath was hot and heavy against her cheek as he nuzzled against her, a hand pushing her short hair from her face.

He kissed her softly. The tip of his nose brushed against hers as he pulled back and grinned boyishly at her. He chuckled to himself as he moved off her at last. The sheets billowed around her for a second before they landed and stuck to her hot skin. Twisting her head to one side, she watched him move around the bedroom. Still naked, he paused by the curtains and drew them back so that sunlight flooded the room. Grimacing at the brightness, Luisa reached for a pillow and buried her face in it.

Only when she heard the click of the bathroom door closing, followed by the sound of running water, did she lift her head. Rolling over, she tugged the sheets up to her chin and stared up at the ceiling. The sheets smelt of his cologne, his sweat, their sex. It used to be comforting to be wrapped up in him. She used to beg him to stay with her, pull him back between the sheets, straddle him, kiss him into submission. He used to do the same to her, always making them late for work, for drinks, for dinner, for everything.

A long time ago, when she was naive and in love and couldn't possibly imagine anything else, she used to wonder how people could separate the physical from the emotional. Back then, she believed what magazines told her; that sex and love went hand in hand and was incredible and sacred. The thought of anything else baffled her, it just didn't seem possible that you could enjoy something so intimate without having a connection with the other person.

Now she scoffed at the same articles that tried to convince her that what she once believed was still true. It didn't matter that she didn't love him anymore. Her body still reacted to his hands, his mouth, his tongue in the same way it always had. Nothing in that respect had changed. He could still get her off and vice versa. It didn't matter that there was nothing more to it, that all they were reacting to was instinct, rather than emotion.

The bathroom door clicked open and Luisa turned her head to watch Seth walk across the room, a towel slung low on his hips. He swiped his phone from the bedside table, his brow furrowing as he paused to scroll through his emails. Instinctively his hand scraped over his head and she watched as his fingers lingered for a second too long at the base of his neck. She knew what they were searching for, yet the knot of hair that had previously been a permanent feature was long gone. Instead, his fingers now dug into the top of his spine, the tips tracing the beginning of a tattoo that was an almost invisible reminder of who she fell in love with.

As Seth headed for his closet, Luisa stretched and sat up. The sheets pooled at her waist as she looked around for where she'd discarded her robe the night before. Scraping a hand through her hair, she frowned as her finger caught the messy strand. It took her a second to realise what had happened and she bit her tongue to stop herself cursing as she reached to detangle the ring from an unruly lock of hair. She was still getting used to its size and weight. She'd lost count how many times she'd caught it on hair, snagged the edge on clothes or felt the sharp edge digging into her skin. As she freed her finger, she noticed that the ring had slipped around her finger, the diamond now facing inwards. Slowly she turned it, watching as it gleamed in the morning sunlight. Delicately she removed a single strand of hair that had caught around the band.

"I knew you'd like it."

She looked up to see Seth leaning against the closet door. His shirt was neatly tucked into his pants, but his collar was still undone, the tie draped around his neck as he fiddled with cufflinks.

"It's beautiful," she told him, her thumb brushing over the face of the diamond.

"Only the best for you."

Luisa felt her skin itch at the obvious insinuation but she managed to keep her face impassive. "Are you out tonight?" she asked as walked back towards the bed to grab his watch.

"Most likely. Why?"

"I was thinking of going to see my Mom. I haven't seen her since we got engaged and she'll want to see the ring and hear all about it again."

"Right." He was staring at his phone again.

"So, I guess I'll be back late too…" Luisa drifted off.

"Yes." Seth slipped his phone into his pocket.

"I'll give her your love?"

"Of course."

He leaned down, his lips brushing over her cheek. She breathed him in for a second and was instantly somewhere else.

* * *

 _Seth's arm curled around her as they sunk deeper into the corner booth. The bar was still busy, the Friday night crowd yet to move onto pastures new, but Luisa was barely aware of her surroundings. Her finger traced along a groove in the table as Seth reached for his beer. She watched, almost mesmerised as he took a long swig. His head tipped back, giving her the perfect view of his thick neck and the fuzziness of his beard which was in desperate need of a shave. Her own head rocked back against his shoulder and she smiled to herself as she felt his hand squeeze her arm._

 _The end of the week was what she lived for. What had begun as a group of interns celebrating the start of the weekend, quickly progressed to it being just the two of them. The first time was just luck – Peter had been called away to a family emergency, Brad had a date and Jessica didn't seem thrilled at the prospect of third-wheeling with two people who wanted to drink beer and laugh about the awfulness of interning._

 _At first, it was just that – beers and laughter. He was easy to be around, he made her feel relaxed and less on edge than the rest of the group. His lack of decorum made her drop her guard. She felt more like herself like she was around her friends and her family. They like the same films, the same books and after a long time of trying they eventually found common ground in music as well. She looked forward to shutting down at her computer on a Friday, heading out to the elevator to find him waiting._

 _She wasn't sure when it became something more than just drinks and company. One evening she just felt his hand brush against hers. Long fingers enveloped hers and then they walking hand in hand like it was the norm. That same evening, their usual hug, which had started a few weeks into their ritual, included a brief second where his lips touched her cheek. The following week, the hand holding was followed by him sliding into the booth next to her rather than opposite and when they said their goodbyes, he hesitated for a second before giving her a tentative peck on the lips._

 _Now she struggled to let him go. Sometimes he'd prise her hands from the collar of his coat, grinning and winking as she clamoured for more. She would float home on the memory of his mouth on hers, catching her reflection in the subway, her cheeks always flushing as she took in the mess he'd made of her hair with his fingers._

 _Seth shifted next to her and Luisa felt herself being pulled a little closer. Her own hand dropped to his thigh as she leaned forward to grab her beer. Draining it, she flicked her wrist over to look at her watch. Patting Seth's leg, she raised her hand to show him the time._

" _Already?" he groaned, his chin resting softly on her head as she chuckled._

" _Last trains wait for no-one."_

 _She pulled herself upright, reaching for her purse and coat. Seth stood, stretching for a second. He held out his hand for hers as she stood. He pulled her gently against him, his lips brushing over her forehead before they moved through the bar towards the exit._

 _Outside it was raining and they huddled for a moment as she rummaged for her umbrella. His fingers grazed hers as he took the handle in his hand, holding it at a comfortable height for both of them._

" _Any big weekend plans?" he asked her as they walked._

 _Luisa nodded. "My brother is back in town, so we're going out for dinner, catching up, the usual."_

" _I didn't know you had a brother."_

" _You never asked," Luisa replied with a grin. "What about you?"_

" _What about me?"_

" _Brothers, sisters?"_

 _Seth shook his head. "Neither. I was such a great kid my parents decided they couldn't do any better."_

 _Luisa elbowed him softly, laughing. "You're full of it."_

 _He shrugged. "It's the truth." But his lips twitched when he met her eye and she rolled hers in response._

 _They rounded the corner to the subway and Luisa felt her heart start to pound in anticipation of Seth turning her in his arms and pressing his mouth against hers._

" _Shit," she heard him mutter._

" _Wha–" she started but then she saw for herself. Outside the subway entrance was a small group of people, most of them looking slightly frustrated. Amongst them, she could see an employee of the subway company looking harassed._

" _Sir, there is no service from this station due to an electrical fault further up the line."_

" _Shit," Luisa echoed Seth's previous remark. She tugged back her coat sleeve and stared desperately at her watch. "The nearest station is what, two blocks away? I mean if I run I could make that and then…"_

 _She trailed off, feeling herself being steered away from the station, along the road to where the street crossed over the avenue and the traffic clustered in a sea of lights._

" _Seth? Where are we going, the station is back there?"_

 _He shook his head. "It'll take you double the time to get to your station and then you'll miss your train home anyway."_

" _And a cab is going to get me there quicker is it?" Luisa asked, confused as Seth scanned the traffic._

" _Over there."_

 _They darted across the road, weaving in and out of the traffic. Seth opened the door, gesturing for her to get in as he shook off the umbrella. Inside, sheltered from the cold and the rain, Luisa frowned as Seth reeled of an address she didn't recognise._

" _Sorry," she started to say to the cab driver. "We need two stops."_

" _No, we don't."_

" _Seth, what the hell? I need to get home."_

" _Come home with me." His words hung in the air as she stared at him incredulously. He glanced up and almost looked bemused by her expression. "What?"_

" _Go home with you?"_

 _He rolled his eyes. "Not like that." He saw her raised eyebrow. "I swear. Look, I'm just trying to help. You wouldn't have made the last train from that other subway station and then what? You'd be stuck at the station for the night. What kind of guy would I be if I let that happen to you?"_

 _Luisa scowled but she couldn't help but agree – stranded at the station on a Friday night wouldn't be ideal._

" _My place isn't far and I promise to have you in a cab tomorrow morning back to the station so you can get home and see your brother."_

 _She didn't answer, still weighing up her limited options._

" _My roommate is out of town. You can have his bed, he won't mind." He reached across the seat for her hand. "I just want to make sure you're safe, okay? And letting you go off into the night to get a train that you might not make just doesn't sit right with me."_

 _He tugged her hand up to his lips, drawing her eyes upwards with the gesture. He held her gaze as he kissed her knuckles._

" _Fine," Luisa heard herself say._

 _Seth grinned. "I make excellent waffles."_

" _I'm going to hold you to that," she murmured as she slid across the seat and into his outstretched arm._

* * *

 _Seth's apartment was not what Luisa had expected. She'd seen the cramped apartments her friends lived in across town, the dingy views of the trashcans outside their windows, the constant noise of neighbours moving behind the paper-thin walls. Seth clearly didn't need to worry about any of that._

 _The apartment spanned two floors, with one bedroom off the main living area and the other up a floating staircase. The full-length windows on one side of the open plan lounge and kitchen offered up an outstanding view of the city, whilst the rest of the apartment was enclosed in exposed brick and timber._

" _This is… wow…" Luisa exhaled as her hand slid across the smooth surface of the breakfast bar._

" _It's my roommate's," Seth explained with a shrug. "His parents bought it as an investment property or something. I think they just wanted him to get a roommate so he could experience 'normal' city life or some bullshit. I was the first person to view it, said I'd take it and he just seemed relieved he didn't have to show anyone else around."_

" _He just offered you the room?"_

" _Pretty much."_

 _Luisa shook her head with a grin as Seth closed the space between them, his hands reaching for her hips. "Has anyone told you that you're one lucky bastard?"_

" _Nope," he murmured in return, his mouth only an inch from hers. "But I'm starting to think it might be true."_

" _Smooth," she murmured against his lips._

 _Luisa shivered as Seth's hands cupped her face, his fingertips grazing her hair. Her own hands slid around his waist, pulling him closer to her. She heard the faint squeak of her heel on the wooden floor as they stumbled slightly, her back pressing against the edge of the breakfast bar. Seth pulled back for a second, his eyes dark, his tongue darting out to swipe across his bottom lip. But when Luisa boldly pulled his head back to her, he only responded with a brief kiss, his fingers brushing tenderly over her cheeks._

" _It's late," he whispered, his breath tickling her skin._

 _Desperately trying to hide her disappointment, Luisa nodded. "I guess."_

" _There's an en-suite off the bedroom."_

 _The matter-of-fact tone jarred. "Right."_

 _Luisa felt cold as Seth stepped back. She wasn't sure if it was from the lack of his warmth or the coolness of the obvious rejection._

" _I mean, feel free to hang out in here if you want…" He trailed off._

 _Luisa cleared her throat awkwardly. "No, I think I'll just go to bed."_

" _Okay."_

 _For a moment, neither of them moved._

" _Well," Seth said, his hand running over the back of his head, fingers delving into the knot of hair. "Good night."_

" _Night."_

 _She felt his eyes on her as she brushed past him to collect her purse and head into the bedroom._

 _Setting her purse on the bedside table, she perched on the edge of the freshly made bed and kicked off her heels. Looking around she noticed the time on the clock on the wall. Cursing under her breath, she opened her purse and found her phone. She knew that her Mom would be starting to worry and quickly tapped out a message to explain the situation. She typed out Seth's name and then paused. Carefully, she deleted it and wrote instead that she was sleeping at a friend's. Chewing her lip, Luisa hit send._

 _She was just about to head into the en-suite when there was a soft knock on the door. Her heart started to pound as she got up and walked to the door. Opening it, she swallowed as she saw Seth standing before her._

 _Gone was the suit and tie. In their place was a pair of shorts and nothing else. Luisa felt herself staring but she couldn't help herself. The time spent in Seth's embrace had certainly hinted at the physique that was hidden beneath his clothes but never had she imagined this level of perfection. She bit her lip as she took in the chiselled abs, the taut chest, her muscular arms._

 _Seth coughed softly and Luisa felt herself blushing as she tore her eyes away from his torso and met his eye. A sly grin was playing on his lips and Luisa looked away, unable to hold his gaze. It was only then that she noticed the garment in his hand._

" _I figured that you weren't exactly prepared for this," Seth said as he offered her the shirt. Luisa glanced up at his face, scowling as she saw his grin widening at his own double-entendre. "What?"_

" _You're a jerk," she muttered as she snatched the shirt from his hand._

" _Why?" The grin was gone and a look of genuine confusion had replaced it._

" _Seriously?" Luisa turned away from him, taking the shirt and her purse with her to the bathroom._

 _He called after her but she ignored him, slamming the bathroom door shut and twisting the lock with a loud click._

 _As she rummaged through her purse to find something, anything to remove her makeup, she felt the anger boil inside her. Anger, mixed with humiliation and frustration. She felt confused by how the night had unfolded. The authoritative way he'd led her to the taxi and told her she was coming home with him had intimidated her at first but he'd been quick to reassure her of his intentions. Yet in the kitchen, when he'd pulled back from the brink of reneging on his promise, she'd felt deflated rather than impressed that he was a man of his word._

 _His appearance at the door, half-naked and under the pretence of offering her his shirt, was the final straw. She felt as if she was playing a game without knowing the rules. The more she thought about it, maybe she wasn't even a participant, she was just part of the game, a plaything for him to toy with. Splashing her face with water, she looked up and stared in the mirror. How could she be so stupid?_

 _Drying her face, she tugged off her dress and replaced it with the shirt. She could smell a hint of his cologne on the collar and her heart pounded unapologetically. Gathering her purse and dress, Luisa unlocked the bathroom door and stepped back into the bedroom._

 _Seth was still there, only he'd taken up one side of the bed. He was lying with his hands behind his head, his legs stretched out with his ankles crossed._

" _You need to learn how to take a hint," Luisa muttered._

" _You called me a jerk for no reason."_

 _She scoffed. "For no reason? Are you for real?"_

" _So tell me." Seth sat up and swung his legs off the bed._

" _You really don't know, do you?" Luisa rounded on him, staring him square in the eyes. "You can't play with people like this."_

" _I wasn't. I don't."_

" _So what do you call this? You pull me into a cab, tell me that you're just offering me a place to sleep, nothing else. Then that happened," Luisa waved her hand towards the kitchen beyond the door. "You make me think that you want something more and then you promptly send me off to bed as if nothing happened. You can't even offer me a shirt to sleep in without rubbing it in."_

 _Seth stared at her confused for a second and then shook his head with a smile. "Okay. First up, I didn't plan to turn up at your door like this. I was getting changed and I realised you didn't have anything to wear in bed. I figured that you would have preferred a shirt at the very least and it was the one I had in my hand at the time. I didn't do it deliberately to 'rub it in' as you put it." He paused. "As for earlier… Maybe I did want something more. But I didn't know if you did. So I stopped. I'm not really sure why you're mad at me for that?"_

" _You assumed I didn't."_

" _I assumed you didn't want what? More?"_

" _Yes."_

" _And how would I have known that?"_

" _You could've asked."_

 _Seth grinned. "And you could have told me. Works both ways." He stood and took a tentative step towards her. "So you gonna take back calling me a jerk?"_

 _Luisa pouted. "Maybe."_

" _I'm sorry you felt like I was playing with you. I wasn't. I swear." He stepped closer._

 _She looked up at him. "I don't like playing games."_

" _Me neither." He reached out and cupped the side of her head._

" _I like you, Seth."_

 _He chuckled. "I like you too, Luisa." He paused, the chuckle morphing into teasing smirk as he dropped his gaze and she felt his gaze drag slowly over her body. "I like you even more in my shirt."_

 _Luisa felt her stomach flutter. "Yeah?"_

 _He nodded, moving closer so his body lightly pressed against hers. "Definitely."_

" _Show me."_

* * *

Luisa paid the cab driver and turned to face the house she grew up in. Every time she visited, memories of her childhood came flooding back. She could picture herself in the front yard hosting tea for her favourite teddy bear and doll, riding her bike up and down the sidewalk with her friends from down the street, waiting on the porch for the postman to bring news of college applications. It had been barely a year since she moved out and into the city with Seth. At first, all she missed were the people, her mom, her brother, the neighbours. Now she missed everything else this place had come to represent – a sense of freedom, the opportunity to just be the person she used to be, the person she recognised rather than the pretence that seemed to take hold when she stepped into the city.

As she pushed open the gate, she heard a familiar rumble of an engine. Glancing down the street, she grinned as saw the Camaro cruising towards her. As the car drew to a halt, she stepped towards the open window and peered inside.

"Looking good, Deano," she grinned at her brother. "Although surely by now you've spent the same amount of money on this thing than you would've on a brand new car?"

"Firstly, kiddo, it's not a 'thing' as you so eloquently put it; it's a beauty of a car. Secondly, a brand new car doesn't give you the same love as this girl does," Dean Ambrose retorted, stroking the dashboard to emphasise the point. "And finally, no scratching the paint work with that rock on ya fist."

Luisa rolled her eyes and pulled back from the car as Dean got out and rounded the vehicle. His arms circled her a second later, pulling her into a bear hug. There were five years between them, but they'd always been close. When they were kids, Luisa had pined for her older brother every other weekend when he visited his father. When Luisa's own father had upped and left when she was barely a teen, Dean had been her rock through the confusing times that followed. He'd driven her to school when their mom had to work double-shifts to pay the mortgage, he'd helped her study for SATs, picked her up from house parties gone wrong and driven her and all her worldly possessions five hours north to the college he'd helped her to apply for.

Dean released her from his hug, but before Luisa could move towards the gate once again, he reached out and grabbed her hand to inspect the ring.

"The photo you sent Mom really was life size then. She said it was at some fancy restaurant in front of everyone?"

"Yeah," Luisa replied, pulling her hand free.

"Thought you once said that public displays of affection made you wanna puke."

Luisa frowned. "I'm allowed to change my mind."

"Sure."

Luisa decided not to respond and instead pursed her lips and pushed the gate open to head up the path. Dean followed, keys jangling in his hand, but before they reached the door, it swung open.

"Luisa!" Her mom leant on a stick and held out her free arm to embrace Luisa. They held each other tightly and Luisa breathed in the gentle scent of her mom's perfume, the same one she'd always used. "Congratulations once again, sweetheart."

"Thanks, Mom." Luisa moved past her into the hallway. She could spy the boiling kettle in the kitchen. "Go sit down, I'll finish making the tea."

"Your brother takes-"

"Black coffee, two sugars," Luisa smiled over her shoulder. "I remember."

She watched for a second as Dean kissed their mom on the cheek and then took her arm to help her into the living room. She moved around the kitchen making tea and coffee, placing the various items on a large tray before carrying it into the living room. Dean was sprawled across the couch and he groaned dramatically as she wriggled into the gap between his feet and the armrest. Glancing over, she saw their mom watching them with a fond smile on her face.

"How you been Mom?"

"I'm doing okay. The physio gives me this exercises to do," she reached for a pile of paper next to her chair. "I feel like a right fool every time I do them, but he says it's helping."

"How long do you have to keep doing them?" Luisa asked as she watched her mom locate the right document. She reached over and took the proffered paper to study. The doctor's handwriting was scrawled next to each diagram, notes to help her mom to conduct each exercise correctly.

"Another few weeks at least. Dean's been taking me."

Luisa felt a stab of guilt. She glanced over at Dean who just shrugged. "The cab fare is ridiculous," he told her.

"You should've said–"

"We'll manage," he told her.

"Anyway," her mom said a bit too loudly. "You didn't come over to hear about me and my leg. I want to hear all about last week."

"I already told you," Luisa smiled.

"I'll never get tired of it. It sounded perfect. Just what you deserve, sweetheart. He's one of the good ones and he'll always treat you right."

Luisa felt the smile on her face start to stick. "I know, Mom. It was perfect." She heard Dean snort quietly next to her.

Her mom didn't notice and instead was holding out her hand. "Come on, show me the ring." Luisa obliged, watching as her mom's fingers caressed the diamond. "It's beautiful. Did you pick it out together?"

"No. He chose it."

"Well, he's definitely got an eye for the finer things in life," she winked and Luisa made her smile stretch that little bit further. "What about a date?"

"No, we haven't decided yet."

"Venue?"

"Mom…"

She chuckled. "I know, I know. I'm getting ahead of myself. But I did get you something…"

"Oh, Mom. Really, you didn't–" Luisa trailed off as her mom produced a glossy magazine.

"I picked it up this morning. I thought we could have a look through, see what you liked." Her eyes started to shine. "Unless you have something in mind already?"

Luisa smiled. "No, I hadn't even thought about it."

"Well then…"She opened the magazine and Luisa noticed that several corners had been turned down already. "Let's have a look."

As they flicked through the magazine, Luisa rested her head on her shoulder. "Thanks, Mom."

"Anything for you," was the reply.

* * *

It was early evening when Dean dropped her back at the station. He'd been quiet for most of the afternoon. At first, she thought it was because of the endless wedding chat, but even when the conversation moved to work and friends and gossip, he remained resolutely silent, offering a handful of words when required.

"You okay?" Luisa finally asked as they pulled into the parking lot.

"I was going to ask you the same question." Dean cut the engine.

"I'm fine."

"Are you?"

"Yes."

His eyes narrowed as he looked her over. "I call bullshit."

"Dean!"

"Most chicks I know would be ecstatic about an engagement. You look mildly pleased at best."

"I'm not like the 'chicks' you know."

"Exactly. You're my sister and I know you better than most." Dean scraped a hand over his face. "He doesn't deserve you, Luisa."

"You would say that."

"Why? Because I want the best for you and he is anything but?"

"You've never liked him."

"For good reason."

"Yeah, what reason's that?" Luisa turned in her seat to face him. Dean's face was stoic, his lips a thin line. "Exactly. You can't even say why."

"I just know you can do better."

"Well, maybe I can't."

Dean sighed. "I just… I don't want to see you get hurt. I just want to know you're sure about this."

"I am sure."

"Are you sure for the right reasons?"

Luisa stared at the bridal magazine in her lap. "The right reasons?"

"Yeah, like love. You gonna marry him because you love him?"

"If I said I am, will you drop this?" She chanced a look up at him and his face made her want to cry.

"If you say you love him, I'll drop it."

"I…" Luisa swallowed. "I've got to go."

Dean's palm hit the steering wheel, making her jump. "Fine. Tell me you're sure."

"I'm sure." Luisa shoved the magazine into her purse and opened the door.

"Luisa…"

"What?" She reeled around.

"Just tell me why."

"You know why," Luisa told him. "You know I don't have a choice."

* * *

Thoughts? x


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